This recipe is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill
In honor of March being Women’s History Month, I’m sharing a dish first introduced to me by my mom. Growing up, my mom made delicious pesto pasta with her homemade basil pesto. Fresh pesto is leaps and bounds above store-bought pesto and has richer flavor.
I’ve partnered with Bob’s Red Mill to share my fresh homemade pesto pasta recipe made entirely from scratch. This recipe is so special because the combination of simple homemade linguini and fresh pesto makes it feel like an authentic Italian dish. The best part? No special equipment or lengthy processes are necessary. This recipe is on the table in under 45 minutes start to finish!
Simple Homemade Pasta (Without A Machine)
My pasta recipe is made with Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Semolina Pasta Flour, and water. This egg-free pasta is easy to make and has awesome taste and texture. I tested a handful of different recipes before settling on this one. It’s the best balance of simple and delicious. The dough is also really easy to work with.
This pasta recipe doesn’t require any special equipment or a pasta machine. The technique involves rolling out the dough into a thin rectangular sheet, folding it over a few times to form a loose cylinder, and cutting it into thin strips of your desired thickness. It’s very important to keep the dough well floured so it doesn’t stick together when folding or cutting.
Alternatively, you can loosely roll each end inward towards the center and slice crosswise into strips. This method allows you to insert your knife between the two rolls and simply lift to unravel. If you’re cooking the pasta right away, the method isn’t as important.
You can make this recipe with spaghetti, linguini, fettuccini, or even pappardelle. I love this technique because it doesn’t require a massive time commitment.
Freezing and Storing Fresh Pasta
Fresh pasta can be made a few hours in advance and left out on the counter to rest/dry before cooking. If freezing fresh pasta, shape or twirl into small nests/portions and place in an airtight container. Keep pasta generously floured to prevent sticking. Storing in small bundles will prevent clumping and make for simple handling. Pasta can be stored for up to 1 month in the freezer.
Cooking frozen fresh pasta will only take an additional 30-45 seconds to cook. Place directly in boiling water without thawing—3 to 4 minutes is likely all you will need.
Fresh Basil Pesto
Homemade pesto is really easy to make and is so much better than store-bought pesto. My mom’s basil pesto consists of fresh basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper. Everything is blended together in a food processor to render a smooth, yet slightly granular sauce. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a standard blender or single-serve blender instead. Just don’t blend too aggressively or it will turn into a creamy paste.
Sometimes small grocery stores or local farmer’s markets will have fresher locally made pesto that is usually better than brand-name pesto sauce. You can tell how fresh pesto is by how green it is. Old pesto will take on a duller and deeper dark green color.
Trust me, don’t waste your time making this recipe with store-bought pesto. It saves 5 minutes max and will not deliver the same level of flavor and authenticity.
More Pesto Recipes You’ll Love
- Creamy pesto gnocchi with shrimp
- Chicken pesto pasta
- Chicken pesto pizza
- Chicken pesto panini
- Pesto pasta salad
- Pesto shrimp pasta
- Pesto zucchini noodles
Homemade Pasta with Basil Pesto Recipe
- Prep Time: 35
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Simple and delicious homemade linguini made with fresh homemade basil pesto. My take on an authentic Italian classic dish made from scratch without a pasta maker.
Ingredients
Simple Pasta
- 1 3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Semolina Pasta Flour
- 3/4 cup water
- Salt, for water
- Extra grated parmesan for serving
Pesto
- 3 cups basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the pesto
- Combine all pesto ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend until mixed and smooth. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until combined. Pesto should not be too soupy or fine. Set aside. Can be made a day in advance. See notes below if you don’t have a food processor.
For the pasta
- Mix flour and semolina in a small bowl. Place on the counter and form a mound. Create a well in the center of the mound about 6 inches wide. Fill the well with water and slowly incorporate some of the flour mixture until the liquid has the consistency of batter. Work the rest of the flour into the batter until a sticky dough is formed.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes until firm and elastic. If the dough is too crumbly, wet your hands and continue to knead. If too wet, knead in some extra flour. Let dough rest for 20 minutes in a plastic bag or wrapped in plastic wrap before proceeding. This is very important for dough texture and easy rolling.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as thin as possible on a floured surface. I target just over 1/16th of an inch thick. Cut the sheet in half with a sharp knife or pizza wheel so you have two large rough squares/ovals. Generously flour all sides to prevent sticking!
- Start with one edge and fold the dough over 4 or 5 times into a very loose cylinder. Use a sharp knife and cut the dough crosswise into the desired pasta width. Pasta will expand when cooked so slice slightly thinner than desired. For example, I cut linguini just under 1/4 inch wide. Toss cut pasta to unravel and repeat with the other sheet of dough. Alternatively, you can loosely roll each end inward towards the center and slice crosswise into strips. This method allows you to insert your knife between the two rolls and simply lift to unravel.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Strain and place in a large bowl and toss with pesto to fully coat as desired. If pesto is too thick, add some extra olive oil. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
For the pesto: If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a standard blender or single-serve blender instead. Just don’t blend too aggressively or it will turn into a creamy paste. If using a single-serve blender, combine all ingredients together and pulse until smooth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 pasta with pesto
- Calories: 425
- Sugar: 0.2g
- Sodium: 327mg
- Fat: 16.7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1g
- Carbohydrates: 61.9g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 15.4g
- Cholesterol: 8mg
Keywords: simple pesto pasta, homemade pasta recipes, basil pesto
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